The poignancy of Private Nelson Short’s poem, “I’m dreaming of Australia, the land we left behind…,” engraved on a dark marble stone at the Kundasang War Memorial in Ranau, Sabah, was heart-rending. I could not imagine the pain, horror and despair that had stricken close to 1,800 Australian and 600 British soldiers who became Prisoners of War (P.O.W.) in Sandakan, Sabah. This was during the Japanese occupation in World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945. The Kundasang War Memorial was built in 1962 as a tribute to the brave soldiers who had perished in the P.O.W. camps in Sandakan, the death marches taken by the rest of the soldiers from Sandakan to Ranau, and was also dedicated to those Sabahans who had suffered or was killed while trying to help these soldiers. It was indeed a grim period in history.
To get to this famous historical site of the Kundasang War Memorial, located close to the foothills of Mount Kinabalu, we drove for about two hours from the city of Kota Kinabalu to the town of Ranau, a distance of 90 kilometres. It was a peaceful drive along a picturesque hilly countryside, going higher in altitude and cooler in temperature. The lovely scenery I saw was far different from an image of hundreds of beaten and malnourished soldiers trekking wearily over 265 kilometres of treacherous and uncharted jungle in Borneo, many dying or killed on the way. I probably would not have survived the journey of physical and mental torment. There were 3 forced marches, called the Sandakan Death Marches of 1945.
The entrance fee to the Kundasang War Memorial was RM2.00 for Malaysians and RM10.00 for non-Malaysians. The site underwent restoration in 2005 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the ending of World War II. The War Memorial was open daily from 8.30am to 5.30pm to the public. On the outside, the Kundasang War Memorial looked like a grim, grey fort, which was quite befitting given the solemn background. However, it was a different story on the inside, to my delight. The place was more like a memorial estate, made up of 4 beautiful gardens: the Australian Garden, English Garden, Borneo Garden, and a Contemplation Garden; appropriately epitomizing the several nationalities involved in the circumstances of the death marches.
The Australian Garden was simplistic in its design with a green lawn and surrounding brick walls lined with rich green plants and foliage, giving a serene ambience for visitors. The English Garden was quaintly reminiscent of a quiet stroll admits evergreen pine trees and blooming roses, and there were benches for visitors to sit back and unwind in a tranquil atmosphere. From the West to the East, the Borneo Garden brought me back to Asia, filled with tropical greeneries, flowers and orchids on a winding stone path.
Next was the Contemplation Garden with its reflection pond and pergola, constructed on the highest level at the Kundasang War Memorial, which I liked. It was like a mixture of Western and Eastern architectural features with two rows of white pillars supporting wooden beams and a long narrow basin-like pond in between the parallel columns… an ideal environment for the purpose of contemplation of the past; not yours or mine, but in remembrance of the heroes of the war. All the names of the Australian and British soldiers could be found inscribed here at the Contemplation Garden. At this top spot of the Kundasang War Memorial, I could also catch the majestic sight of Mount Kinabalu, towering over other peaks; a wonderful setting for photography sessions.
After viewing and walking through the 4 unique gardens, we headed to the Information Centre of the Kundasang War Memorial, where the mementos and some memoirs from individuals about the atrocities then were kept. There was also a brief video on the history of the Sandakan Death Marches. None of the British soldiers survived the ordeal and only 6 Australian soldiers lived to tell the tales:
1) Warrant Officer ‘Bill’ Sticpewich, Australian Army Service Corps,
2) Private Keith Botterill, 2/19th Battalion,
3) Lance Bombardier William Moxham, 2/15th Australian Field Regiment,
4) Private Nelson Short, 2/18th Battalion,
5) Gunner Owen Campbell, 2/10th Australian Field Regiment, and
6) Bombardier Richard ‘Dick’ Braithwaite, 2/15th Australian Field Regiment.
My trip to the Kundasang War Memorial had been a stirring emotive journey and the moving poem by Private Nelson Short continued to ring in my mind and heart as we drove back to Kota Kinabalu that afternoon: “Dreaming of the loved ones, we could always bear in mind. Although it’s only fancy, our hearts within us yearn. But we’ll make up for lost moments, when to Aussie we return.”